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00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 Welcome to Your Morning Boost, your daily leadership advice to help you lead your school community.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 Brought to you by AWB Education and sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 where together we are transforming education, one leader at a time.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 Now here's your host, Adam Bush.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 Have you ever heard the saying, kids are easy, adults are hard?
00:00:20 --> 00:00:24 Those are some of the words of wisdom shared with me by another school administrator
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 when I first entered the job of leading a building.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 I didn't understand it at first,
00:00:28 --> 00:00:32 but over the years, those words have continued to live in infamy for me.
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 In fact, I'm not sure truer words have ever been spoken.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:40 They were absolutely right. Adults are hard. We all are.
00:00:40 --> 00:00:44 Most students we can work with and reason with, especially once we grasp the
00:00:44 --> 00:00:48 concept that even the worst behaviors we see are really just forms of communication.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 The student is trying to tell us something.
00:00:51 --> 00:00:56 Well, that concept applies to adults as well. Behavior is communication,
00:00:56 --> 00:00:59 and adult behaviors are likely also telling us something.
00:00:59 --> 00:01:03 It could be personal. It could be professional. We may not know,
00:01:03 --> 00:01:08 but we may need to work with this individual to find the root cause to be able to find a solution.
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 Now, this is difficult in your work as a school leader because no matter how
00:01:11 --> 00:01:16 much we want to be a coach in these situations, we are always going to be seen
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 as a supervisor and an evaluator. That's part of the gig.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 And with that part does come the
00:01:21 --> 00:01:25 responsibilities that lie in the human resources side of our profession.
00:01:25 --> 00:01:29 You know, that side that ironically doesn't always feel very human.
00:01:29 --> 00:01:33 That is what makes it hard sometimes. But when we're at a moment when we have
00:01:33 --> 00:01:38 to have those difficult conversations with an employee, we are tasked with completing
00:01:38 --> 00:01:42 that part of the job in a way that offers support and retains the dignity of
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 the human being that we are working with.
00:01:44 --> 00:01:49 Okay, so that being said, one consideration for success in this area is to spend
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 the time ahead of the meeting to get prepared.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 Have an agenda and a plan ready to go for the meeting.
00:01:55 --> 00:02:00 I realize that that may feel a little weird at first, but this helps to ensure
00:02:00 --> 00:02:04 that all parts of the important parts, especially of the conversation,
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 are included in the meeting.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:10 If you are familiar with Susan Scott's 2002 work, Fierce Conversations,
00:02:11 --> 00:02:16 you'll remember that she even goes to the length of nearly a script for the entire conversation.
00:02:16 --> 00:02:20 The script includes a multitude of areas to be addressed within the type,
00:02:20 --> 00:02:24 you know, based on the type of conversation that you're needing to have with your employee.
00:02:24 --> 00:02:28 We all know that the best thing we can do with the people in our organization
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 is to be open and honest with them.
00:02:30 --> 00:02:34 I know that's really hard to do sometimes, but our people deserve that from their leaders.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:39 Mistakes happen, and when we understand that mistakes are also an opportunity
00:02:39 --> 00:02:43 to grow and improve, we use them to move the entire organization forward,
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 let alone the personal growth of one individual.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:50 But it starts with the difficult conversation that we will only be successful
00:02:50 --> 00:02:54 in an environment that is also prepared to provide the support to improve.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 The worst thing we can do is ignore it.
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 The problem never goes away unless it's by pure luck.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 I don't know about you, but I don't want to rely on being lucky.
00:03:05 --> 00:03:09 You have been listening to Your Morning Boost by AWB Education in partnership
00:03:09 --> 00:03:10 with Grundmeyer Leader Services.
00:03:11 --> 00:03:15 You can find out more about our services by clicking on the links in the description.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:20 Remember, you are doing this vital job that only a few can do.
00:03:21 --> 00:03:24 So until next time, thank you for your service to your community.